THE controversial Papua New Guinea chancery building in the Solomon Islands will cost taxpayers K40 million to complete.Currently the project site in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara only comprises the cement foundation, posts and a signboard confirming that it was the proposed chancery. Work at the site stopped in July 2009 after employees reportedly went on strike over the nonpayment of their wages by local company Trans World Construction. Both the Solomon Islands and the PNG Governments vowed to investigate how funding earmarked for the construction by the company was exhausted. But to date both governments have not indicated if separate inquiries were done. The company at the center of the controversy is reportedly owned by Solomon Islands businessman Thompson Turueke.Despite the uproar and public concern over the project and failure by both the Solomon Islands and PNG governments to advise of the outcome of their investigations, officials appeared unfazed and gathered at the Government House yesterday to witness the signing of instruments to enable work to re-start on the construction site. The Government has allocated a total of K40 million to the project with PNG-based company Lamana Development Limited getting K18 million for the job. The Department of Foreign Affairs team was led by the department’s acting secretary Alexis Maino at the signing ceremony.According to the Lamana Development Limited general manager, John Robertson, they had no prior knowledge of what happened to the previous contractor and are only aware that the company was engaged before work stopped at the site.He said a small demolition exercise will need to be undertaken before the full construction started on the three-storey building.

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